This month, traders say social unrest in the Middle East helped rekindle demand for precious metals as a haven -- a shift that continued on Thursday amid more confrontations between protesters and troops in Bahrain and Yemen.

What’s more, sales of silver coins by leading government mints show that investors’ craving for the metal has mushroomed this year.

Still, the bulk of silver usage is for industrial applications and jewelry. That means the metal’s price can be closely tied to the health of the global economy, particularly manufacturing.

If your bet is that the economy will continue to expand, “Fundamentally silver probably has better reasons to rally than gold,” said Frank Cholly, a senior market strategist at commodities trader Lind-Waldock & Co. in Chicago.